HISTORY

The UH Center for Neuromotor and Biomechanics Research (CNBR) was established in 2009 by a group of faculty from the Department of Health & Human Performance (HHP) to provide a focal point for multidisciplinary studies of human movement control. By bringing together scientists, engineers, and clinicians interested in studying basic physiological mechanisms, functional characteristics of individuals and populations, and rehabilitation/training techniques, CNBR was conceived to fill a vacant niche in the Houston area as a singular laboratory for understanding performance of various normal, abnormal, and elite populations, as well as to improve the quality of life for those disabled by the effects of injury, disease, or aging.

GOALS

Control of posture, locomotion, and all goal-directed movements are complex functions that rely on coordinated interactions between the nervous system, the musculo-skeletal system, the cardiovascular system, and the environment. To study these functions, the CNBR brings together interdisciplinary research teams having expertise in engineering, physiology, clinical medicine, physical and occupational therapy, exercise science, psychology, human factors, physics, mathematics, statistics, and computer science.

The primary goal of the CNBR is to serve as a regional hub for multi-disciplinary research and technology development efforts that will enable us:

• To better understand the mechanisms and characteristics of neuromotor control functions in normal, elite, disordered, disabled, and at-risk populations.

• To improve health care delivery and quality of life for community dwelling individuals having reduced mobility, impaired coordination, and/or increased risk of falling,

• To improve the efficiency of programs for training and rehabilitating sensory-motor skills, and

• To train the next generation of research professionals in neuromotor control and the biomechanics of movement.